WHAT WAS SHAKESPEARE'S RETIREMENT AND LATER LIFE IN STRATFORD-UPON-AVON LIKE? HOW AND WHEN DID SHAKESPEARE DIE? WHERE IS HE BURIED, AND WHAT IS HIS GRAVE LIKE? WHAT IS THE MEMORIAL TO SHAKESPEARE IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY?
Answer prepared by: Julia H.
In 1611, after contemplating retirement several times and living in comfort in Stratford-Upon-Avon, the final act of Shakespeare's life began. According to Peter Ackroyd, in his book Shakespeare: The Biography, in 1607, the plague raged in London, closing theatres and public buildings all throughout the city. It was a busy time in Shakespeare's life; his daughter Judith was married to Thomas Quiney, the son of one of Shakespeare's friends, as stated in Shakespeare, by Peter Chrisp. Shakespeare spent most of 1609 at New Place, as the plague caused theatres throughout London to close once again, as stated in the book Shakespeare and His World, by F. E. Halliday. He contemplated retirement, but decided to stay in the business for another year (Halliday 103). The plague showed no mercy; once again, it ran rampant through London in 1610 (Halliday 103). At age 46, Shakespeare decided to retire back to Stratford where he finished The Winter's Tale (Halliday 104). Shakespeare lounged in Stratford inside one of the grandest homes of the town; he had bought and chosen to live in New Place instead of the home nearby he had inherited from his father (Chrisp 58). Ironically, the plague faded shortly after Shakespeare's move, and he continued his busy life, commuting to London for work as a playwright and as a shareholder in The Globe (Halliday 104). In 1611, Shakespeare finished his last play, The Tempest, most likely inspired by a recent shipwreck off of the coast of Bermuda after having talked to some of the survivors (Halliday 104-105). Shakespeare's absence from writing could have severely injured The King's Men, but two other playwrights were sufficiently emerging(Halliday 105). Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher supplied numerous plays that were extremely well-received by the public. Two of Shakespeare's brothers, Gilbert and Richard, died between 1612 and 1613 (Halliday 129). Richard's death was not the only tragedy to strike Shakespeare in 1623; Shakespeare's precious theatre, The Globe, was burned to the ground during a production of Henry VIII. A cannon backfired, the thatched roof was instantly engulfed, and the beloved theatre was burned to the ground, according to Peter Chrisp in his book, Shakespeare. Since Shakespeare was a part owner of the globe (he owned 1/14), he had to pay for 1/14 of the damages. It was after the destruction of The Globe that Shakespeare retired for good. As Peter Ackroyd in Shakespeare: The Biography says, it was "a practical end to a thoroughly pragmatic career." The Globe was eventually rebuilt in 1614, and Shakespeare traveled a few times to London to see the new Globe and what Fletcher had written for the rest of Two Noble Kinsmen, a play Shakespeare had barely begun then left in Fletcher's hands with which to do what he pleased(Ackroyd 517). Shakespeare's short, casual retirement would come to an end along with his life in 1616.
Shakespeare's casual, quiet retirement and later life in Stratford-Upon-Avon led to a death shadowed in a veil of mystery. There are many theories as to how the Bard of Avon passed away. One hypothesis as to how Shakespeare died is that "he was suffering form tertiary syphilis, a not uncommon condition in the period and one to which he could undoubtebly been exposed," stated in Shakespeare: The Biography, by Peter Ackroyd. Shakespeare's signatures later in his life give historians the idea that he had "spastic cramp," a disease common among writers (Ackroyd 511). With this disease, Shakespeare would not have been able to write, which would solve the question of why he stopped writing (Ackroyd 511). Another possible cause of Shakespeare's death was of a sudden disease such as an influenza or another virus of some sort (Ackroyd 511). One 17th century doctor took note that fevers were "especially prevalent in Stratford" and that 1616 was a "particularly unhealthful year" (Ackroyd 511). The river running through the backyard of new place brings up another theory. After his death, the river was discovered to have carried typhus; one could surmise Shakespeare died of Typhoid fever (Ackroyd 511). Perhaps the most common theory of the cause of Shakespeare's death was alcoholism. Shakespeare had four friends he drank often with (Ackroyd 511). The town vicar said "they dank too hard, for Shakespeare died of a feavour there contracted" (Ackroyd 511). On the Folger Shakespeare Library website, the section entitled "The Final Years" tells us that Shakespeare died on his birthday, April 23, in 1616(as stated on his epitaph). Many varying ideas cloud the very end of Shakespeare's life, but today his memory is still clearly prevalent.
Shakespeare is buried at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford, the same church at which he was baptized, as stated by Peter Chrisp in his book, Shakespeare. He is grave is near the front of the church, in front of the altar, as stated in Shakespeare and his world, by F.E. Halliday. "Curst be he that moves my bones" is inscribed on his grave (Chrisp 59). Looking over the grave is a sculpture of Shakespeare that was installed in 1623 by a man that may have known Shakespeare (Chrisp 59). Another sculpted portrait of Shakespeare was created in 1740 and placed in Poet's Corner in Westminster Abbey, as stated in Shakespeare's England, by the editors Horizon Magazine. On the William Shakeseare Complete Works website, the page "William Shakespeare Memorials and Statues" describes that the statue in Poet's Corner is a life-size white marble statue. The website also describes that in the statue, Shakespeare is leaning on a pile of books on top of pedastal of the heads of Queen ELizabeth I, Henry V, and Richard III. The webpage "William Shakespeare Memorials and Statues" also explains that Shakespeares left hand points to a scroll containing three lines from TheTempest.
Holy Trinity Church, inside which Shakespeare is buried
Shakespeare's memorial statue in Poet's Corner, in Westminster Abbey.
The two memorials, one at the church he was christened at, and one in the famed Poet's Corner, both honor and treasure Shakespeare's celebrated life.
Ackroyd, Peter. Shakespeare: The Biography. 1st ed. New York, NY: Doubleday, 2005. 505-516. Print.
Chrisp, Peter. Shakespeare. 1st ed. New York, NY: DK Publishing, Inc., 2002. 58-59. Print.
Halliday, F. E. Shakespeare and His World. New York, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1979. 103- 129. Print. Horizon Magazine, Ed. Shakespeare's England. 3rd ed. New York, NY: American Heritage Publishing Co., 1964. Print.
Mowat, Barbara A., and Paul Werstine. "The Final Years." Folger Shakespeare Library. Folger Shakespeare Library, 2005. Web. 10 Apr 2010. <http://www.folger.edu/Content/Discover- Shakespeare/Shakespeares-Life/The-Final-Years.cfm>.
Answer prepared by: Julia H.
In 1611, after contemplating retirement several times and living in comfort in Stratford-Upon-Avon, the final act of Shakespeare's life began. According to Peter Ackroyd, in his book Shakespeare: The Biography, in 1607, the plague raged in London, closing theatres and public buildings all throughout the city. It was a busy time in Shakespeare's life; his daughter Judith was married to Thomas Quiney, the son of one of Shakespeare's friends, as stated in Shakespeare, by Peter Chrisp. Shakespeare spent most of 1609 at New Place, as the plague caused theatres throughout London to close once again, as stated in the book Shakespeare and His World, by F. E. Halliday. He contemplated retirement, but decided to stay in the business for another year (Halliday 103). The plague showed no mercy; once again, it ran rampant through London in 1610 (Halliday 103). At age 46, Shakespeare decided to retire back to Stratford where he finished The Winter's Tale (Halliday 104). Shakespeare lounged in Stratford inside one of the grandest homes of the town; he had bought and chosen to live in New Place instead of the home nearby he had inherited from his father (Chrisp 58). Ironically, the plague faded shortly after Shakespeare's move, and he continued his busy life, commuting to London for work as a playwright and as a shareholder in The Globe (Halliday 104). In 1611, Shakespeare finished his last play, The Tempest, most likely inspired by a recent shipwreck off of the coast of Bermuda after having talked to some of the survivors (Halliday 104-105). Shakespeare's absence from writing could have severely injured The King's Men, but two other playwrights were sufficiently emerging(Halliday 105). Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher supplied numerous plays that were extremely well-received by the public. Two of Shakespeare's brothers, Gilbert and Richard, died between 1612 and 1613 (Halliday 129). Richard's death was not the only tragedy to strike Shakespeare in 1623; Shakespeare's precious theatre, The Globe, was burned to the ground during a production of Henry VIII. A cannon backfired, the thatched roof was instantly engulfed, and the beloved theatre was burned to the ground, according to Peter Chrisp in his book, Shakespeare. Since Shakespeare was a part owner of the globe (he owned 1/14), he had to pay for 1/14 of the damages. It was after the destruction of The Globe that Shakespeare retired for good. As Peter Ackroyd in Shakespeare: The Biography says, it was "a practical end to a thoroughly pragmatic career." The Globe was eventually rebuilt in 1614, and Shakespeare traveled a few times to London to see the new Globe and what Fletcher had written for the rest of Two Noble Kinsmen, a play Shakespeare had barely begun then left in Fletcher's hands with which to do what he pleased(Ackroyd 517). Shakespeare's short, casual retirement would come to an end along with his life in 1616.
Shakespeare's casual, quiet retirement and later life in Stratford-Upon-Avon led to a death shadowed in a veil of mystery. There are many theories as to how the Bard of Avon passed away. One hypothesis as to how Shakespeare died is that "he was suffering form tertiary syphilis, a not uncommon condition in the period and one to which he could undoubtebly been exposed," stated in Shakespeare: The Biography, by Peter Ackroyd. Shakespeare's signatures later in his life give historians the idea that he had "spastic cramp," a disease common among writers (Ackroyd 511). With this disease, Shakespeare would not have been able to write, which would solve the question of why he stopped writing (Ackroyd 511). Another possible cause of Shakespeare's death was of a sudden disease such as an influenza or another virus of some sort (Ackroyd 511). One 17th century doctor took note that fevers were "especially prevalent in Stratford" and that 1616 was a "particularly unhealthful year" (Ackroyd 511). The river running through the backyard of new place brings up another theory. After his death, the river was discovered to have carried typhus; one could surmise Shakespeare died of Typhoid fever (Ackroyd 511). Perhaps the most common theory of the cause of Shakespeare's death was alcoholism. Shakespeare had four friends he drank often with (Ackroyd 511). The town vicar said "they dank too hard, for Shakespeare died of a feavour there contracted" (Ackroyd 511). On the Folger Shakespeare Library website, the section entitled "The Final Years" tells us that Shakespeare died on his birthday, April 23, in 1616(as stated on his epitaph). Many varying ideas cloud the very end of Shakespeare's life, but today his memory is still clearly prevalent.
Shakespeare is buried at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford, the same church at which he was baptized, as stated by Peter Chrisp in his book, Shakespeare. He is grave is near the front of the church, in front of the altar, as stated in Shakespeare and his world, by F.E. Halliday. "Curst be he that moves my bones" is inscribed on his grave (Chrisp 59). Looking over the grave is a sculpture of Shakespeare that was installed in 1623 by a man that may have known Shakespeare (Chrisp 59). Another sculpted portrait of Shakespeare was created in 1740 and placed in Poet's Corner in Westminster Abbey, as stated in Shakespeare's England, by the editors Horizon Magazine. On the William Shakeseare Complete Works website, the page "William Shakespeare Memorials and Statues" describes that the statue in Poet's Corner is a life-size white marble statue. The website also describes that in the statue, Shakespeare is leaning on a pile of books on top of pedastal of the heads of Queen ELizabeth I, Henry V, and Richard III. The webpage "William Shakespeare Memorials and Statues" also explains that Shakespeares left hand points to a scroll containing three lines from The Tempest.
The two memorials, one at the church he was christened at, and one in the famed Poet's Corner, both honor and treasure Shakespeare's celebrated life.
Click here to visit an interactive timeline of Shakespeare's entire life, from PBS's In Search of Shakespeare
Shakespeare's will was also an important issue of controversy from Shakespeare's final years. To learm more, visit my fellow classmate's page: WHAT WAS SHAKESPEARE’S LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT? WHAT ARE THE CONTROVERSIES SURROUNDING HIS WILL? WHAT THERORIES ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN THOSE CONTROVERSIES?
Works Cited
Ackroyd, Peter. Shakespeare: The Biography. 1st ed. New York, NY: Doubleday, 2005. 505-516. Print.
Chrisp, Peter. Shakespeare. 1st ed. New York, NY: DK Publishing, Inc., 2002. 58-59. Print.
Halliday, F. E. Shakespeare and His World. New York, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1979. 103- 129. Print. Horizon Magazine, Ed. Shakespeare's England. 3rd ed. New York, NY: American Heritage Publishing Co., 1964. Print.
"Memorials and Statues of William Shakespeare." William Shakespeare Complete Works. N.p., 2005. Web. 10 Apr 2010. http://www.william-shakespeare.info/william-shakespeare- statues-and- memorials.htm.
Mowat, Barbara A., and Paul Werstine. "The Final Years." Folger Shakespeare Library. Folger Shakespeare Library, 2005. Web. 10 Apr 2010. <http://www.folger.edu/Content/Discover- Shakespeare/Shakespeares-Life/The-Final-Years.cfm>.